Little Sparrow
by GreenEyesFreckles87
Summary: Lucinda Sparrow is Jack's little sister, who was left in Barbossa's clutches when he was marooned and Bootstrap was dropped into the ocean. After years of torment and abuse, she flees on the shores of Port Royal during the Black Pearl's attack, only to run right into everything she thought she'd lost, and more. Will/OC. BACK FROM HIATUS.
1. Lucinda Sparrow

\- Author's Notes - So, I first wrote this story a LONG time ago with my best friend when Pirates of the Caribbean first came out, and, with the new movie approaching, I thought I'd bring it back to life.

Pictures of original characters such as Lucinda and any others introduced can be found in my Profile. I'll update as new people are added.

This story mostly follows the movies, at least the first and second ones for now, but there are differences in the plot, and please be advised, this is not a Disney based story. There is some dark stuff ahead.

With that, I hope you enjoy, and PLEASE review! Chapter 2 is already underway, so, the more reviews, the faster I'll post it.

* * *

Nineteen year old Lucinda Belle Sparrow sat on the worn, tattered stool at her vanity in her dimly lit by a few scattered candles cabin aboard the cursed Pirate ship The Black Pearl, gazing at her reflection in the dirty, cracked mirror.

Her seemingly lifeless honey brown eyes were red and puffy, while her dirt and smoke caked cheeks were further stained with the tears she'd been crying.

The crew had just pillaged another town, and Lucinda could hear the evil celebratory chuckles of the Pirates outside on deck, while, in the distance, the screams of the families who'd lost loved ones, the women who'd been assaulted, and the soldiers who'd fought were still audible, depsite them being at least a mile back out into the open ocean, following the ship, or, more accurately, Lucinda, like a haunting fog.

She'd been at the mercy of Hector Barbossa and the rest of the crew of the Black Pearl for nearly ten years. She'd been raised by her older brother, Jack, after their Mother, Anne, who'd been a proper French lady, died when she was only a few years old, while their Father, a Pirate, who'd most likely conceived his two children through force, hadn't been seen since before Lucinda was even born. Though that didn't stop Jack from taking off on the seas, with his little sister in tow, in search of the man, after their Mother's death.

They never found him, ironically slipping into his Pirate lifestyle however, nor the brother of Anne's they remembered visiting them at their home every year, though Lucinda finally discovered the Father she never had in William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner after the man joined the crew Jack put together for the Black Pearl.

After a mutiny led by Barbossa, Lucinda watched her beloved older brother be marooned and left for dead on a desert Island, but she remained safe with Bootstrap, until the crew found the cursed Treasure of Cortés, which turned them into men who could not feel, taste, nor die, and, when William Turner sent a piece of the gold off, vowing the Pirates deserved to be Cursed forever, as the spell could not be lifted without each medallion, the man was dropped into the ocean depths with a canon tied to his boots by the enraged crew.

Lucinda could still remember watching the man she considered her Father, the only family she had left after losing Jack, send her one last smile, before being shoved overboard. While she sobbed, and the crew cheered in victory, Barbossa had fallen to one knee beside her, wrapped an arm around her small form, and grinned.

"Don't ye worry, love," he'd crooned into her ear, as she cringed, terrified. "Barbossa will take care of ye now."

The now Captain of the Black Pearl had then laughed maniacally, while the little girl merely continued to cry.

Now a young woman, Lucinda was still trapped. She hadn't taken a piece of the treasure, but she still felt just as cursed, if not moreso, as the rest of the crew.

She'd tried to flee several times over the years, as soon as her legs were strong enough to carry her, but was always found, and returned to Barbossa's clutches. Eventually, she gave up, accepted this was her fate, her life, until she grew old, and became undesirable to the Pirates.

She'd remained untouched, or, more accurately, a "proper" virgin, for longer than she should've, being trapped on a ship of undead men as she was, but only because Barbossa had commanded she stay "innocent" for the day they finally lifted the Curse, and he could be the first man to have her, when he could actually feel her and everything bedding her would bring.

Lucinda would rather die than see that day. She'd more than once considered killing herself, but had only been able to go through with an attempt once. She'd taken a blade to her wrist, slicing deep multiple times, while locked in her cabin.

Unfortunately, Barbossa's faithful monkey had smelled the blood, getting in through one of the ship's many holes, then gone to fetch the Captain, who, along with several other members of the crew, had broken down her door in time to save her life.

She'd kicked and screamed and begged to be let to die, while Barbossa held her tight, securing clothes around her bleeding arm, before murmuring to her that it was all right, that he forgave her.

Lucinda's slender forearm still bore the scars of that night, which she usually kept covered with a black silk ribbon. Since she couldn't end her own life, she set about another way to save herself from the inevitable night Barbossa would come to her bed, and, when they'd raid towns, she'd look for a man to give herself to.

It took sometime, as she felt, if she was going to do this, it shouldn't be with just any man who looked at her with desire in his eyes, especially since that wouldn't eliminate many options. But she soon found one. A young soldier with the Royal Navy. He was handsome, with black hair, a matching in hue beard, and piercing blue eyes. His name was Killian Jones. Both he and his brother, Liam, were in the service, but it was Killian who caught her eye.

The first time he'd seen her was quite fortunate, as she'd just been injured by one of the men in town who'd decided to fight the Pirates, but all Killian saw was a beautiful, wounded young woman, who begged him to protect her.

He'd taken her back to his quarters at the town's Navy fort, where he'd bandaged her upper arm, which had been cut, telling her he'd keep her safe until the Pirates were gone, but Lucinda knew Barbossa wouldn't leave without her, so she'd gone to work on the young man, clutching at him the way she'd seen frightened women do with their men when the crew would pillage towns.

When she'd leaned in to kiss him, after being in his room with him for a few hours, he'd been tempted, naturally, but was too much of a good man, and pulled back, saying they shouldn't. Lucinda remained forceful, eventually getting him to kiss her. He still pulled back after only a second, once more insisting it was wrong, that he'd be taking advantage of her, but she pushed forward, fueled by the nightmarish thoughts of being bedded by Barbossa one day, and, soon, Killian melted into the beautiful young woman's arms.

Lucinda had continued to be forceful, as the only kind of lovemaking she'd ever witnessed was rough and borderline violent, but he'd held her gently, kissed her softly, whispered to her that it was all right, and she found herself, for the first time, being the young woman she was. Not a Pirate, not an Orphan, not a man's plaything, or the hostage on the ship that was the only home she'd ever known, a young woman. And one experiencing her first time lovemaking just as she should, with a good man, who treated her as the Lady she was.

The canon fire, the screams, the gunshots, everything outside of the room faded away, despite continuing on for several hours, and Lucinda fell asleep in Killian's arms, after he gave her something, a ring he wore, which he placed on a chain, so that she could wear it around her neck. He told her the ring had been his Mother's, all his Father had been able to afford to give to her on a Soldier's wages. Lucinda had said she couldn't accept it, but Killian insisted, so she'd allowed him to place it around her neck, while one of the first true smiles in years rested on her beautiful face.

In the morning, Lucinda's perfect night ended. Not in the way she thought it would, with her slipping out while Killian slept, and returning to Barbossa, waiting until they were a safe distance from the town to tell him she'd been raped by one of the men there, but with the Captain and a few of the crew kicking in the door to the room, where they found her in bed with the young Soldier.

While Lucinda pleaded with Barbossa, she and Killian had been dragged outside. The entire town was nearly dead silent, with only the sobs of women and children finding their dead men in the streets filling the air, while the few soldiers left were bloodied, and set up to be hanged by the rest of the crew.

Lucinda was forced to watch as Killian was beaten, then, despite her cries, had his throat slit, before his body was tossed off the Fort's wall, and into the water to be eaten by the ocean life. One of the remaining soldiers was Liam, the young man's older brother, who sobbed, and cursed the Pirates.

Barbossa had asked Lucinda if she was satisfied, or if she needed more incentive. She'd conceded, and, thankfully, no more blood was split. She'd locked eyes with Liam, as the Captain led her off, back to the longboats, with the rest of the crew, while Barbossa held her against his side, telling her it was all right, that they'd pretend it never happened, that he'd punished the horrible man who'd hurt her, and that he forgave her for her part in it.

Lucinda had thankfully been able to hold onto Killian's ring, continuing to wear it around her neck to this day, as Barbossa only asked her about it once, and when she'd lied, saying she'd taken it from one of the towns they'd raided, he'd thankfully either believed her, or knew she was lying, but let it go, giving her one small piece of mercy.

The young woman was torn from her thoughts, and brought back to her dimly lit cabin, at the sudden sound of heavy booted footsteps approaching from outside, causing her to instinctively reach down the front of the black tunic she wore, and wrap her fingers around Killian's ring, where it dangled off of the chain around her neck.

The door to her quarters soon swung open, revealing Barbossa in its place, and Lucinda's heart instinctively skipped a beat, then began pounding quickly against the inside of her chest.

"Good evening, lass," he grinned a mouthful of rotten teeth at her.

"Good evening, Captain," replied Lucinda, nodding her dark blond head at him.

"I've brought ye something from the shores," Barbossa said, reaching into his heavy jacket with a large filthy hand, as he strode across the room to where she sat at her vanity.

"Oh?" Lucinda inquired, lifting her tired gaze to him, when he came to a halt by her, then followed his arm, as he placed the item in question in front of her. It was a small jewelry box. Not a cheap one either, but one most likely from a mansion in the town they'd just left.

"Plays music," said Barbossa, just as she reached over to lift the top of the heavy item, causing a pleasant gentle song to fill the air in the room.

Despite everything that the evil man had put her through, the jewelry box nonetheless caused Lucinda to smile softly, something he noticed, and so he placed his large filthy hand on her nearest slender shoulder.

"There's something else too," Barbossa continued.

"What's that?" Lucinda asked, not looking up at him, nor truly registering his heavy limb on her arm, as she was seemingly mesmerized by the tune, such a gentle melody, one that reminded her of her Mother, and something she hadn't heard in ages, especially since the only music to usually assault her ears is that played in the pubs and whorehouses the crew visit in towns like Tortuga.

Barbossa moved his hand from her shoulder, and hooked one finger under her chin, while placing his thumb on it, using the hold, which was far from gentle, to force her gaze off of the jewelry box, and up at him, which caused her moment of happiness to swiftly disappear.

"We've found it," the Captain grinned, and Lucinda's already dimming smile faded completely. "The _**final**_ piece of the gold. It called to us. Which means. . . " Suddenly, his hand wound its way into her silky dark golden tresses, which he fisted tightly around his fingers, causing her to gasp softly in surprise and slight pain, before he used the hold to haul her to her feet, then pull her to him, the harsh sudden actions causing her own delicate limbs to fly to his chest in an instinctive bracing action. "Soon, ye'll be _**mine**_ , Lucinda Sparrow."

Lucinda flinched at his use of her first name, which she'd never really gone by until Jack turned them to the Pirate lifestyle, as all who ever met her before then insisted "Belle" was more befitting, given her incredible beauty, and Station by her Mother.

" _ **Finally**_ mine," Barbossa continued, flicking his hungry, lust filled gaze over every inch of the young woman's beautiful form that he could see, before settling his eyes on her breathtaking face once more. "I think there be a bit more wind as can coax these sails."

Loosening his grip on her hair, the Captain leaned forward, and placed a gentle kiss to Lucinda's forehead, before completely releasing his hold on her, turning, then striding from the room, slamming the door to her quarters shut behind him, leaving her standing there, completely stunned.

Lucinda's breath began escaping her in shuddered gasps, as fear and dread overtook every last part of her, right down to her very soul. Everything, all of it, every last thing she'd done to prevent this, was for nothing, and, in that moment, as if tied to her emotions, the music box died, its soft, sweet song cutting off as swiftly as if someone had taken all the sound from the World.

Looking over at the item, Lucinda merely stared down at it for a moment, quieting her trembling breaths, while seemingly willing the box back to life, but it remained as quiet as a grave.

Reaching out, she gently closed the lid, then lifted her eyes to the cracked mirror of her vanity, hating the girl who stared back at her.

Wrapping her fingers around the heavy item, she raised it up, drew back her arm, then threw it at the glass with all her might, while emitting a sound that could only be described as a grunt of despair, as the mirror completely shattered, showering the top of the vanity and the torn stool in front of it, as well as the floor around the items of furniture, in sharp shards of glass.

Breathing heavily from the surge of adrenaline that had shot through her, it wasn't long before Lucinda's legs gave out from beneath her, and she collapsed to the floor, her anger soon swiftly melting into sadness, causing her to curl up on the dirty ground of her cabin, as a fresh bout of sobs overtook her.

* * *

 _ **Tortuga**_

Captain Inara Serra sat at a secluded table in the rear of one of the town's many pubs, a mug of ale sitting on the surface, while she relaxed back in her chair, her booted feet propped up on an empty barrel, crossed at the ankles, as one hand absently played with the turtle pendant she wore around her neck, and the other fed grapes to her most trusted companion, King Charles, a Capuchin monkey, who, while almost identical in appearance, was the complete opposite of the one found in Barbossa's company.

Despite all of the noise of the drunk patrons surrounding her, Inara was quite content in her little corner, and that was perhaps the reason she didn't notice a man approach her table, that is until he spoke.

"Captain Inara Serra," said Captain Jack Sparrow, offering the beautiful woman a charming smile, when she looked over at him, initially irritated at being interrupted, but the expression didn't last long, once she saw it was a handsome Pirate who'd come calling. "What a pleasure it is to meet you." He extended one ring adorned hand to her. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

Sitting up, Inara accepted Jack's offered hand, giving it a firm shake, before pulling the limb free, and relaxing back. "I've heard of you."

"All good things, I hope," Jack continued to grin, while holding his arms out on either side of himself, as he tilted slightly to one side.

"Not all," Inara replied. "No."

"Well, we'll have to change that, then, won't we?" suggested Jack, before gesturing at the barrel she had her feet on. "May I sit?"

Sighing softly, the Pirate's charm and handsome looks only getting him so far in her books, Inara nonetheless moved her legs off of the item, and sat up more fully, offering King Charles a fresh grape, as Jack sat down on the barrell.

"Cute little beastie," he said, gesturing at the monkey, before making an expression of disgust. "And I'll be the first to admit I don't have the best experiences with them."

"Well, we'll have to change that, then, won't we?" smiked Inara, throwing his earlier words back at him.

Jack chuckled softly, lifting a hand to point at her. "Beautiful, and clever. I like you better and better by the moment." Sighing gently, he went on. "I heard about happened to your ship, and, Captain to Captain, I am _**truly**_ sorry for your loss."

A flash of pain could be seen in Inara's dark brown eyes at his words, but she quickly looked away, causing King Charles to move up onto her shoulder, chattering softly in concern, and the emotion was gone when she returned the orbs to the man.

"Thank you," was all she managed to respond with.

"I know what it's like, love," said Jack, moving closer, enough to rest his elbow on the table's top. "To loose a ship. Almost ten years ago, I was viciously mutinied upon by my First Mate. He and me crew left me stranded on an Island with no hope of escape. But that wasn't even the worst part of it."

"What was?" Inara asked, with a gentle shake of her dark brown head.

"He took me little sis," Jack replied, almost spitting the words out like a snake does venom. "The only thing in this World who ever gave a damn about me. The only thing in the World I truly loved. My ship as well, sure. But Lucinda. . . " Pausing, it was his turn for a rare flash of pain, a show of emotion other than charm, to cross his handsome face. "She was everything to me. And I got no idea if she be alive or dead, but I _**do**_ know one thing, love, I want revenge, against Barbossa, against that whole rotten crew."

"Why are you telling me this?" inquired Inara next. "You think you can come here, bat your eyes at me, tell me a sob story about your little sister, and I'll melt like one of those Whores out there?" She nodded at the pub, which was full of loose women and their customers.

"No, love," said Jack, sitting back a bit on the barrel, before shrugging. "I just thought ye might jump at the chance at a new ship and crew."

"You just told me the ship's the only thing left you have," Inara responded. "You expect me to believe you'll give it to me? That I'll want another Captain's ship, with a crew that betrayed their last?"

"No," Jack answered. "No, love, you misunderstood me. The Black Pearl is mine, its crew I'll be sending down to see old Davy Jones. However, in order to find one ship and one crew, I'd naturally need another. And those?" He quirked his brow, shrugging softly. "Those be all yours when we're done."

Inara's brow quirked in interest at this. However, she wouldn't be a good Pirate is she wasn't suspicious. Especially of Captain Jack Sparrow.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, placing her arm on the table, and leaning forward to gaze more closely at the man, where she gazed knowingly at him. "You know I've heard the stories about you. You're not exactly considered trustworthy, Jack."

"Well, I guess this'll be what you call a leap of faith, won't it, love?" Jack said, offering her a fresh charming smile, before rising from the barrell. "Meet me here, at first light, and we'll be on our merry way, Captain."

Inara gazed after the man, as he left her with a slight bow, before turning on his heel, and marching over to two women waiting for him, one a redhead and the other a blond, both known Whores, wrapping an arm around them, then leading them off.

* * *

 _ **Port**_ _**Royal**_

Lucinda stood on the deck of the Black Pearl, as the menacing ship fired on the sleepy unsuspecting town, waking its inhabitants with violence and terror, and lighting the night with fires and explosions, the air soon heavy with smoke, gunfire, and screams.

Nearly the entire crew was piling into the longboats, to go ashore, and Lucinda was ready to join them. She had her usual things with her, gun, sword, and her bag, which she brought with her so she could carry back the few things she'd actually take from the towns they'd pillage. But, tonight, she already had items in it, the few she'd leave this ship with that actually meant something to her, one being a beautiful necklace of her Mother's.

Lucinda had no intention of returning to the Black Pearl, even if it meant she met her end on the shores of Port Royal. She would rather die, than see Barbossa lift the Curse, and take her to bed, which she knew would not be a single event, but rather many, for the rest of her life.

Flicking a last glance at the ship, Lucinda turned to head down the ladder, when a large filthy hand suddenly shot out, grabbing her by the upper arm, and, when she looked over to see who it belonged to, she found Barbossa standing there, his ever loyal monkey on his shoulder.

"I want that medallion, Lucinda," he said to her, firmly squeezing her arm in his grasp, as he spoke. "Bring it to me."

Lucinda nodded, "Yes, Captain."

Barbossa let go of her arm, allowing her to climb down the ladder on the side of the ship, where she joined other members of the crew in one of the longboats waiting down below.

Taking in a deep breath, she released it, as they pushed away from the Pearl, and began rowing to shore. She looked up at the ship, as they went, and saw Barbossa standing on its deck, gazing right back at her, before she tore her eyes from his, and instead focused on the town she planned to meet her fate in, having no idea she truly would, though in the completely opposite way she imagined.

* * *

\- Author's Note - Well, there's Chapter 1. As I said at the beginning, you can find pictures of Lucinda, as well as any other new characters you saw, such as Inara, Killian, Jack and Lucinda's Mother Anne, in my Profile, so be sure to check them out, and, of course, PLEASE review!


	2. Welcome to Port Royal

\- Author's Note - Hey, guys! Here is Chapter 2. It was originally going to be much longer, like, twice as long as it is, as so much happens in it, but I decided to split it up, so here is actually part one of Chapter 2.

Thank you so much to those of you who favorited and followed, and especially reviewed!

The next Chapter is almost finished, as it was originally all in this Chapter, so, PLEASE review, and I'll post it soon! No new pictures have been added to my Profile, but be sure to check out the ones already there if you haven't. Next Chapter, there will be a couple new pics for new characters introduced.

With that, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Lucinda stepped onto the shore of Port Royal among the crew of the Black Pearl, all of whom eagerly rushed off to both create and partake in the chaos.

Swiftly moving into the town, she unsheathed her sword to duel the usual men and soldiers who'd attack, too caught up in the heat of battle to realize she was a woman, but, for the first time, she didn't aim to kill, merely wound enough to get past them. Fortunately, not much of a war had yet broken out among the Pirates and Port Royal's occupants, as everyone was still either recovering from or continuing to cause the initial destruction.

The Black Pearl's canons remained in a near constant state of firing, destroying structures and anything else that were in its path, but Lucinda soon found herself coming to a halt, when a somewhat unfamiliar sound reached her ears, that of the screams of terror from a child.

Looking over, the young woman saw a small blond haired boy, probably only 2 years old, standing in the middle of the street, tears streaming down its dirty face, as he screamed for his Mother.

A split second later, a fresh blast from one of the ship's canons took out the bell tower behind the child, and, without a second's hesitation, Lucinda took off toward the little boy, scooping him up without stopping, then rushing them out of the building's reach, just as it collapsed onto the ground in a pile of brick and dust.

As soon as they were safely out of range, the child's Mother appeared, taking her son from Lucinda's arms.

"Oh, thank you, Miss!" she exclaimed, sobbing in relief and gratitude, as she cradled her child, while reaching out to hug Lucinda as well.

"Listen to me," Lucinda said, grasping the Mother by the arms, and using the hold to guide her away from the chaos, while indicating the Royal Navy structure she could see in the dark background of the town, which was returning fire on the Pearl. "Take him, and go to the fort! Stay out of sight! Don't let them see you! Go, now!"

"Yes! Thank you!" the woman cried out once last time, before doing as Lucinda said, and disappearing into a nearby alley with her son.

It was an odd, yet wonderful, feeling, being thanked, being appreciated, but the young woman had little to no time to enjoy it, before she was forced back into the battle, where, when she could, she found herself taking out crew from the Black Pearl.

They couldn't die, but she could at least put them down long enough to give the Soldiers and the town's men time to gather their strength, and fight back, while allowing the women and children to get to safety. She'd learned it took the Pirates at least a few minutes to return from their temporary death, depending on the severity of it. Snapping their necks usually kept them down the longest, and their bones were thankfully fragile from the Curse, so it wasn't a difficult task if you knew what you were doing, and could sneak up on them.

Lucinda managed to catch a couple off guard, swiftly snapping their necks from behind, while others saw her fighting them, and rushed her.

"You stupid little bitch!" one exclaimed, being the one to sneak up on her, and a cry of pain tore from her lips when she found the hilt of a sword coming harshly into contact with the side of her head, near her hairline.

Collapsing to the ground, her sword flying out of her grip, Lucinda rolled over onto her back, and gazed up at the Pirate, but, as he hovered over her, telling her he was going to teach her some manners, she recovered enough from the blow to push against her back, then use the leverage to fly up onto her booted feet, where she swiftly dodged the man, stepping off to the side of him, then behind, where she quickly snapped his neck.

As he collapsed to the dirt floor, temporarily dead, Lucinda tried to more fully return from the hit. She could feel the warmth of her own blood seeping down the side of her beautiful face, and her vision blurred slightly, while her breath left her in slightly heavy pants.

Looking around, she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see better. The residents of Port Royal were running all through the streets, while members of the cursed Black Pearl's crew shattered windows, lit fires, sliced men front and back, chased down terrified women, and battled with Soldiers.

But there was one person in particular who caught her blurred gaze, and, for a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.

It was a young man, with long dark hair pulled back into a tie, dark facial hair, deep brown eyes, golden skin glistening with sweat from the heat of the battle and the fires around him, and a lean, but well muscled build, who was fighting the Pirates with nearly flawless skill. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear she was seeing Bootstrap Bill Turner, come back to life, fighting the undead crew here on the streets of Port Royal.

The sight of the young man, whoever he was, because surely he couldn't be her Father figure, gave Lucinda enough strength to shake off a good portion of the pain in her head, and she managed to get to her feet, where she regained her hold on her sword, throwing herself back into battle, adrenaline overriding the throbbing aches.

Apparently Lucinda wasn't the only one that caught sight of the young man. Just as she regained her composure, she saw one of the crew take aim at him with his pistol.

Rushing forward, Lucinda grabbed the man's wrist, and forced the limb down to the ground, just as he pulled the trigger, causing the round to pierce the ground, before she twisted the Pirate's arm around, then used her other to elbow him in the face.

Dodging his swing, as she turned to face him, Lucinda punched him once on either side of the face, then swiftly kicked him away, before reaching for her own pistol at her belt.

The Pirate had learned from her own moves however, and managed to snatch her wrist in his grasp, before she could shoot, then used the hold to pull her in front of him, where he secured his arm across her throat, cutting off her air supply.

Even though taking in breath was becoming difficult, Lucinda dropped her pistol, in favor of grabbing the man's forearm with both of her hands, then using the hold to lift herself up off of the ground, and force her upper body harshly back into his, before, upon landing back on her booted feet, taking advantage of his stunned state, and flipping him over her back, onto the ground.

Swiftly placing one foot on the man's neck, she pressed down as hard as she could, a snapping sound echoing throughout the nearby area, before the Pirate slumped into his temporary lifelessness.

Gathering up her sword and gun, Lucinda looked around, and found the young man now, face to face with another Pirate.

However, before she could do anything, two more of the crew ran past, carrying a chest of gold and jewels between them, and one hit the young man on the back of the head with something from it, swiftly knocking him unconscious, and causing him to fall straight back onto the ground.

Lucinda found her heart skipping a beat at the sight. She still had no plan to return to the Black Pearl, but, after seeing the young man who so resembled her beloved Father figure, at least a much younger version than the one she'd known, now unconscious and vulnerable just a few feet away, she didn't want to die anymore either.

Forgetting everything else, she ran to his side, where she fell to her knees, dropping her sword and pistol neabry.

Reaching out, Lucinda gently brushed the backs of her knuckles down the side of his handsome face, as her rich honey brown eyes flicked over every inch of it. He not only resembled Bootstrap, but he reminded her of Killian. Brave, strong, the same dark hair and beard, golden skin, lean muscled form. That would explain why she was so initially captivated by him, but what was she missing? What was it specifically that was keeping her at his side, instead of running for her life? What was it that made her vow to keep him safe, and kill anyone who tried to harm him?

* * *

Before Lucinda knew it, it was morning. She'd sat with the young man throughout the night, during which the Pirates had returned to the Black Pearl, and left, while she'd been spared from the usual being forced back onto the ship, returned to Barbossa like a piece of property.

She didn't understand. Barbossa had never left her. But here she sat, still in Port Royal, the town's occupants recovering from the Pirate attack all around her, and throughout the streets.

The only thing she could come up with was that Barbossa had gotten what he wanted. He'd found the last piece of gold, and that had been enough for him. He'd given up on her. After all these years. Was it true? She she finally free? No, not truly, at least not until he rotted in the ground. But, for now, she seemed to be safe.

So, what should she do now? She hadn't made her own choices, her own decisions, in almost ten years, and here she was, left alone in a town she'd never been to before, and she'd surely be assigned to the hangman's noose is anyone realized she'd been with the Pirates.

Looking over, Lucinda spotted her sword and pistol. She knew she'd have to abandon them if she were to play the helpless victim. So, she flicked a last glance at the young man, who'd still yet to regain consciousness, then got to her feet, and rushed over to the weapons.

Grabbing them up, she tossed them into a barrel, then checked herself over, to see if anything left on her would give her away, causing her to abandon her belt and holster as well. Fortunately, she didn't have much that was hers. She was left with the clothes she wore, Killian's ring on a chain around her neck, and her bag with the few other personal belongings she'd managed to hold onto over the years, none of which could be seen as a Pirate's belongings, as they were all from her and Jack's life with their Mother in France.

Grabbing a nearby bucket of water, she emptied into the barrel, to set the items to rust and become useless for their inevitable discovery, which hopefully wouldn't be for a long time from now, then threw some hay on top.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucinda turned, and began walking back over to the young man. He couldn't remain in the middle of the street, but there was no way she could move him on her own, especially given the wound of her own on the side of her head, which had renewed its throbbing now that the adrenaline had left her.

Looking around, she searched for someone who could help her. She instinctively didn't trust any of the townspeople, but she, naturally, had a soft spot in her heart for members of the Royal Navy.

All of the soldiers she could see were already otherwise occupied, though she continued her search, even as she fell to her knees beside the handsome young man once more, and instinctively laid a protective hand on his nearest arm.

Spotting an Officer heading in her direction, she could tell his rank by the fact that his uniform was blue, not red, she reached out, grabbing his hand with her own free one, as soon as he was close enough.

"Sir," Lucinda said to him, as her actions caused him to halt, and turn a gentle gaze down onto her, while the two men he'd been walking with also stopped a few feet away. "Sir, please. Would you help me get him to safety?" She nodded at the unconscious young man. "I cannot lift him on my own."

Commodore James Norrington felt himself melting at the receiving end of a beautiful young woman, who had dried blood on the side of her head, gazing pleadingly up at him, and what he should pass off to his men, he now wanted to handle personally.

"Of course, Miss," he said to her, placing his other hand overtop the one of hers grasping his other, and sending her a comforting, reassuring smile, before turning to his man. "Go on without me. I'll meet you back at the Fort."

"Yes, Sir," the red uniformed Soldiers responded, then heading off to attend to others, while Norrington returned his gaze to Lucinda.

"Are you all right, Miss?" he asked, falling to a crouch beside her, while indicating the blood on her face.

"Yes," Lucinda responded. "Yes, I'm fine. Please, help me with him."

"All right," nodded Norrington, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, before releasing his hold on it, and stepping over to the boy's other side. "Let's get Mr. Turner home."

Lucinda had just shifted to help the man get the other up off of the ground, when the Soldier's words brought her to a halt.

"Mr. Turner?" she repeated incredulously.

"Yes, my Lady," James replied, lifting his gaze from the young man to her beautiful, confused, shocked face, the sight of the emotions on it causing his own brow to furrow. "This is William Turner. He's a Blacksmith here in Port Royal. I thought you knew him."

That was it. That was why Lucinda felt such a connection to the young man. Not just because he reminded her of Killian, or because he looked like Bootstrap. But because he was her beloved Father figure's son.

"No," Lucinda said, recovering as quickly as she could from the knowledge that, of all people she'd found in this town, it was the child of the man who'd been the only Father she ever knew. "No, I simply found him, and couldn't leave him."

"That makes you a far better person than many, Miss," Norrington smiled softly, as he took Will's arm in his grasp, and placed it around his neck, then slipped his other beneath the boy and the ground. "Come now."

Taking in a deep breath, Lucinda not believing herself to be a good person by any means, she nonetheless shook off the feelings his words brought her, and began helping him gather up Bootstrap's son.

* * *

Lucinda managed to hold most of Will's weight, while Norrington opened the door to the Blacksmith's shop, then led the way in, down the stairs.

"Watch your step, Miss," James said to her, as he guided the way through the shop. "There's a small loft area upstairs where the men sleep. Let's get Mr. Turner there."

"The men?" asked Lucinda, gazing questioningly over at the Commodor. The throbbing in her head was getting worse with each movement she made, but she was too focused on Will to let it get to her just yet.

"Yes," Norrington replied. "This is the shop of Mr. Brown. He was Will's Guardian until the boy became of age."

"What happened to Will's Mother?" inquired Lucinda. She only remembered Bootstrap mentioning his wife and son once, when she found him drunk in his cabin on the Black Pearl one night, something he rarely did, despite being a Pirate, and, the next day, he was sent to the depths by Barbossa and the crew, so it was almost as if he knew of his oncoming fate, and wanted to confess to the only good thing he had in his life.

"She died when he was a boy," said James. "On the crossing from England eight years ago, we came upon a wreckage. Mr. Turner was the only survivor. We brought him back to Port Royal, put him under Mr. Brown's mentoring."

Lucinda flicked a glance around at the shop, which was a typical blacksmith store, including a donkey to power the turbines, but what wasn't normal was all the empty or half such bottles of rum around the area, not to mention the stink of the alcohol that hung in the air of the shop more than the usual smells of metal and dirt.

She hated that it looked like Will didn't either get the upbringing he deserved, just like she and Jack.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, Lucinda focused once more on getting the young man upstairs, and she and Norrington managed to lay him in his bed, which was, of course, the smaller of the two in the already miniscual room above the shop.

James stood back, while Lucinda sat down on the edge of the bed, and reached out to gently stroke Will's handsome face with the backs of her slender fingertips.

"Miss, it seems as though it still may be some time before Mr. Turner wakes up," Norrington spoke. "Why don't you come, and let me look at your wound?"

"I can't leave him," replied Lucinda with a gentle shake of her honey blond head, not even looking over at the man, as she did so.

"I won't ask you to leave the shop," answered James. "There's a small area out back where I can tend to the injury." Stepping forward, he offered the beautiful young woman one of his large hands, as well as a reassuring, comforting look, when she lifted her gaze to him. "Come now. Please."

Flicking a glance at the man's offered hand, then back up into his face, Lucinda now felt herself melting in the presence of such a kind man, something she hasn't come across since her beloved Killian.

"All right, Sir," Lucinda responded, reaching out to place her hand in the man's offered one, which he gently squeezed when she took it, before helping her to her feet.

Once up off of the bed though, she swayed, the pain and the feeling of being lightheaded finally catching up to her, but Norrington responded quickly, catching her as she stumbled, then reaching down to loop one arm beneath her knees, while securing the other across her back, then using the holds to effortlessly lift her up off of the ground.

"It's all right, Miss," he spoke gently, as he held her securely against his body, and began carrying her from the room. "It's all right. I've got you."

Lucinda felt as though she could've broke down sobbing in relief at that very moment, while she wrapped her arms around the man's neck. She had never been treated like this, like a lady, at least not since Killian.

* * *

There was indeed a small area located in the back of the shop, which was surrounded by fence, including a gate that led to the street beyond.

James gently set Lucinda down onto a barrel that was sturdy thanks to being filled with water, and made sure she was all right there, before fetching a few supplies from inside, and returning to her, offering her a gentle smile, as he prepared to tend to her wound.

"You're quite lucky, Miss," he said, while he soaked a clean cloth with water from a skin.

Lucinda couldn't help but laugh softly at that, while gazing questioningly at him. "How's that, Sir?"

"You're the only one I've come across this morning who escaped last night's attack with a mere cut on the head," explained James, before he shrugged lightly. "Aside from Mr. Turner, that is."

Moving closer, he indicated the wet cloth in his hand, then nodded at her beautiful face. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but this still may hurt a little."

"Don't worry," Lucinda replied. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"I have no doubt," chuckled Norrington, before he raised his free hand to gently grasp his chin, in order to hold her head steady, while using the other limb to begin cleaning away the dried blood from her skin. "Are you new to Port Royal, Miss? I don't believe I've ever seen you in town before. I know I'd remember such a beautiful young woman."

Lucinda couldn't help but blush softly, despite being well used to men telling her she was beautiful, but none were ever the type she'd like calling her such. Not since Killian had she had a proper gentlemen give her the compliment.

"Yes, Sir, I'm new in town," she quickly lied, despite it being the truth. "I've been traveling for quite some time now."

"And what brings you to our humble little Port?" asked James, pausing to re soak the cloth on a clean part, before returning to the task. "Do you have family here?"

"I don't think so," Lucinda sighed sadly, even though she considered the young man upstairs her family now. He was Bootstrap's son, after all. "Though I suppose it's possible I could. I never knew my Father."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, my Lady," replied Norrington.

"Lucinda," she said, causing the man to pause in his actions, as his eyes met her own. "My name's Lucinda."

Norrington smiled softly, before bowing his head respectfully at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucinda. I'm James Norrginton."

"It's wonderful to meet you as well, James," replied Lucinda, smiling softly in return, before the man resumed his task, while she flicked a glance down at his uniform. "What rank are you, James?"

"As of yesterday morning, Commodore," Norrinton answered with pride.

"Do not tell me I have the honor of being tended to be the Commodore himself," Lucinda responded with a gentle laugh of disbelief.

"Indeed you do, my Lady," said James, smiling softly afresh at her. "But it is _**I**_ who am honored."

Finishing up, her beautiful face now clear of the dried blood, fresh thankfully barely escaping the somewhat sizable mostly sealed gaze on the right side of her forehead, near her golden hairline, he fetched a jar of salve, and opened it.

"Thankfully, the wound seems to have mostly closed on its own," Norrington continued. "I wish I was equipped to stitch it for you, but, for that, you'll have to see our Doctor. I'll speak with him personally when I return to the Fort. Until then, this salve will help prevent infection."

Dipping two fingers into the thick ivory colored concoction, he carefully spread a fair amount across the cut on her head, an action that caused her to hiss and flinch slightly in pain, while lifting one hand to gently grasp his wrist.

"I'm sorry, Miss," James sighed softly. "I know this is unpleasant."

"It's all right, Commodore," replied Lucinda, loosening her hold on his wrist. "I've had worse."

Norrington paused in his actions at this, pulling back enough to meet her honey brown eyes with his own gentle blue, as sorrow etched itself across his face. "I'm very sorry to hear that, my Lady."

Lucinda offered the man a soft smile, unknowingly still holding onto his wrist with her gentle grasp, and, without even realizing it, James began to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb, but only for a few seconds, before he caught sight of what he believed was an inappropriate action, and gently pulled his limb free of hers.

"Forgive me, Miss," he said, his pale cheeks tinging slightly pink, as he looked away from her.

"There's nothing to forgive, James," spoke Lucinda. "However, I will, if it means much to you."

"It does," James replied, smiling softly. "Thank you."

Wiping off his fingers on a clean edge of the cloth, he closed the jar of salve, then set it back down on the small table outside where he'd been placing the items.

"Where will you stay while you're in town, Lucinda?" Norrington asked.

"Oh," Lucinda answered, laughing softly, as she lifted a slender hand to tuck some hair back behind her ear. "I honestly hadn't even thought that far. But I have money, if there's an Inn you could direct me toward."

"Nonsense," James smiled, turning to face her once more. "A beautiful, lovely young woman such as yourself has no place in an Inn. Governor Swan is a friend of mine, I've known him for many years, and he has more room in his home than he knows what to do with. I'll ask him if would be kind enough to open it to Port Royal's newest resident."

"Oh, no," Lucinda responded, gently shaking her head, as her brow furrowed. "No, Commodore, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Well, fortunately for you, I wasn't asking your permission, my Lady," James said, smiling at her once more, an action she was unable to help but return, before he offered her his hands to help her down off of the barrel. "Come now. I'll take you there myself. I know once faced with you, there's no possible way he could refuse."

Lucinda laughed softly, slipping her hands into the Commodore's, than gratefully used his offered assistance to her feet.

"I really shouldn't leave Will to wake up alone," she said.

"In which case, if it means that much to you, I'll station one of my men with him," replied James. "Especially since I truly have no idea where Mr. Brown is. Probably slept through the whole attack in an alley somewhere."

Lucinda laughed softly, the sound, and the sight of joy on her beautiful face, causing Norrington to smile in response, before he noticed something.

"Oh, one moment, Miss," he said, holding onto one of her hands, while falling into a crouch in front of her. "You've got some hay in your boot."

"Thank you," Lucinda responded, looking down, as he used his free limb to pull the straw free, which was when the man froze, causing her brow to furrow in confusion, even as her heart skipped a beat in fear, suddenly terrified she'd missed something earlier when she threw away her Pirate belongings, and he'd discovered it. "Commodore?"

"LC," said James in barely more than a whisper.

"I'm sorry?" Lucinda answered, continuing to gaze down at him in question.

"On your boots," replied Norrington, indicating the brown leather footwear. "LC."

Moving her gaze to her boots, Lucinda saw the beautiful cursive initials he was speaking of, which were her own, engraved on the facing outward sides of the cuffs on both, the footwear having been a gift from, unfortunately, Barbossa, when she outgrew the pair before them.

"Oh," Lucinda said, once more tucking some hair back behind her ear, as James rose back to his full height, his eyes almost immediately locked onto her beautiful face. "Yes, those are my initials." Suddenly a bit uncomfortable, she gently shook her head. "Commodore, why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm sorry," James replied, giving himself a bit of a shake, as he realized how rude he'd been. "Forgive me, but. . . May I inquire as to your last name Lucinda? What does the "C" stand for?"

"Crane," answered Lucinda, as "Sparrow" was her and Jack's Father's name, which they didn't go by until after their Mother died, and they set out to search for the man. Before then, they naturally used Anne's last name of Crane.

Lucinda could never figure out why Barbossa had had "C" put on the boots, instead of "S", though she figured it was a cruel joke of his, to remind her of her true nature, that of a proper lady, and what she'd lost.

"Good Lord," James breathed in complete and utter shock. "How extraordinary."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucinda, still confused, and a fair bit uncomfortable and afraid, but, to her amazement, the next thing to cross the man's face was a smile, as well as what she could swear to be a light sheen of tears in his gentle blue eyes.

"Lucinda," James spoke, moving a step closer to her, and once more offering her his hand. "You really must come with me now to Governor Swan's home."

"Why?" Lucinda inquired, her brow so furrowed it was tugging a bit painfully on the cut on her head.

"Please," said James, nodding at his hand. "Trust me."

Lucinda flicked a glance down at his offered limb, before returning her honey brown gaze to his handsome face. She truthfully had no reason not to trust him. He'd been more kind to her in the last half an hour since they met on the street than anyone has to her in nearly ten years. And, really, what could her Mother's name mean over all this time since her death?

"All right, James," Lucinda replied, placing her delicate limb in his much larger one once more. "I'll trust you."

"Very good," Norrington spoke, as he curled his fingers around her hand, then used the hold to guide her through the back of the shop.

* * *

Once out on the street, James commandeered the first horse from one of his Soldiers' they came across, and climbed up, before both he and the other man helped Lucinda up behind him, where she wrapped her arms around the Commodore's waist, while he commanded the Soldier to stay with Will in the Blacksmith Shop until the young man awoke, before he led them through the town, and up to the Governor's mansion.


	3. Reunited

\- Author's Note - Hey, guys! Thanks so much for the favorites and follows, and a special thanks to MedievalWarriorPrincess and x XRoweenaJAugustineX x for reviewing!

Here's Chapter 3. I hope you enjoy it, and, if you do, PLEASE review!

* * *

The mansion was relatively unharmed from the attack by the Pirates the night before. There was some minor damage to the stone walls that surrounded it, and the beautiful steel gates had been bent slightly by what looked like canon fire, but the mansion itself was perfectly intact, which, to Lucinda, made no sense. The rich houses were usually the first to be targeted by Barbossa, who hated the wealthy. But maybe the Governor's mansion had been out of range.

Despite the damage to the gates, two servants opened them for Norrington, when he arrived on horseback with Lucinda, who couldn't help but gaze in awe up at the mansion.

She hadn't been this close to a house so grand since she was a child, because, as stated before, Barbossa would always target them first, as though he knew the happiness seeing such a place would give her, and wanted to deny her even that, or even wished to cause her the sadness witnessing them being destroyed would bring her. After all, she had no clue if her own grand estate still stood back in England.

Norrington brought the horse to a halt near the front doors, where another servant took the reigns of the animal. James climbed down first, then offered Lucinda his arms.

Swinging her leg over to the other side of the house, she slid down into the Commodore's waiting embrace, where he set her gently on her feet, before taking up her hand once more.

"Come," he said, smiling, as he nodded his head at the front doors, then guided her toward them.

Another servant opened the front doors for them, allowing Norrington to simply step right into the mansion with Lucinda, who's gaze immediately lifted to the what of the impressive interior she could see from the foyer.

"What do you think?" Norrington asked, upon seeing the awed expression on her face.

"It's beautiful," replied Lucinda, managing to tear her gaze off of the home, in order to meet the man's gaze with her own.

"Commodore," came a sudden unfamiliar man's voice, and both James and the young woman looked forward, through the foyer, at the grand staircase beyond it, as an older gentleman in a long grey powdered wig, impecibly dressed, began down it. "May I ask the meaning of this early visit? I've just managed to get Elizabeth to bed after such a dreadful night."

"My apologies, Governor," said Norrington, lifting a hand to Lucinda's back, and using the hold to guide her forward to meet the man, while he descended the steps. "But there is someone you must meet."

Governor Weatherby Swann's brow furrowed, as he came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase, then walked the few steps left to where the Commordoor stood with the beautiful young woman.

"Hello, child," the man said to her, with a respectful nod of his head, before his brow furrowed. "I don't believe I've ever seen you before in Port Royal."

"No, Sir," Lucinda responded. "I'm new in town."

"What is your name?" Governor Swann asked.

"Lucinda," she answered, remembering Norrington's response to seeing her initials engraved on her boots, and deciding to add her last name. "Lucinda Crane, Sir."

The expression on the older man's face completely shifted at her words, from one of confusion and question, to a dawning look of realization and complete and utter shock.

"By God," Governor Swann breathed, while it was Lucinda's turn to have her brow furrow, as she watched the same expression that had graced Norrington's face behind the Blacksmith's shop now etch itself on the older man's. "Can it be? Little Belle?"

Lucinda's brow smoothed out, and her honey brown eyes widened, at the Governor's use of her middle name, something she hadn't been addressed as since she was a child.

"How do you know me?" she asked, as fear instinctively took over, and she began to back up, away from the man.

"No, no," the Governor said, holding up a hand to her, while Norrington gently reached out to touch her back once more. "No, don't be afraid. Please." Lowering the limb, when she stopped, he gently shook his head. "We all thought you dead."

"Who are you?" Lucinda inquired, with a slight shake of her own head. "How do you know me?"

"I'm Weatherby Swann, Belle," the man explained. "I'm a friend of your family's. We used to spend so much time together, my family and yours, when we still lived in England. We'd just begun to settle in here when we heard of your Mother's death. By the time we returned, your home was abandoned, and you and your brother were nowhere to be found."

Lucinda's brow smoothed out, when she thought back many years, and remembered a family of three, a man, his wife, and a little girl her age, who'd come to the estate at least half a dozen times a year, and stay for a few days or even a week. So much of her childhood she'd forgotten, or blocked out, because it was simply too painful to think of all she'd had, and all she'd ultimately lost.

"Little Lucinda Belle," Governor Swann stated, raising a hand, and softly touching one side of her beautiful face with the backs of his fingers, as she now looked at him with a light sheen of tears in her eyes. "How you've grown." Laughing gently, he went on. "I can't believe you're here. After all these years."

"What about my Uncle Archibald?" asked Lucinda, sniffling. "You must know where he is. We rarely saw him, after our Mother died. And then he just vanished."

"I _**do**_ know where he is, my dear," Weatherby responded, before moving his hand that he'd touched her face with, and using it to point back into the foyer, indicating an entranceway in it that led into another part of the house. "He's in the drawing room."

Lucinda followed his gesture, her brow furrowing, before it swiftly smoothed out, when she realized the Uncle she'd been looking for for over 10 years, was in this very house, just several feet away.

Looking back at the Governor, who was smiling, then flicking a glance at Norrington, who's face was also etched with joy, she turned her gaze in the direction the former had indicated, and took off toward it.

* * *

Lucinda came to a halt in the doorway of the drawing room. Littered across the area were several tan and black Bull Mastiffs, at least six, while, sitting in front of the fireplace, in one of the two large chairs set before it, was a man, with thick should length brown curls, wearing all black entire, while a matching cane rested against the arm of the seat.

She gasped softly, her honey brown eyes filling with a fresh brim of tears, while the sound of her intake of breath drew the attention of the dogs to her, though none growled, instead whined softly, their tails wagging slightly, which got the attention of the man in chair, who's dark head turned to see what had disturbed the animals, and his gaze soon fell upon the young woman in the doorway.

The man's face was handsome, but tired and aging in a way that had nothing to do with years, but emotional stress and torment, and when he saw Lucinda, it completely changed. It lit up, it grew strength, it gained life, and the deep brown orbs that were the man's eyes began to sparkle.

"My God," Lord Archibald Crane breathed. He knew who she was. Without a word, without more than an initial look at her, he knew who she was. Because of her eyes. They were the same eyes that used to look up at him, when he held her as an infant, feeding her her bottle, when he held her tiny hand as a young child, while she led him through the gardens of their home, showing him everything there was so see of the plant and animal life that had bloomed in the Spring. "Belle?"

"Uncle?" Lucinda exclaimed, Norrington and the Governor forgotten, though they stood several feet back, in the foyer, watching.

Lord Crane grasped the arm of the chair with his hand, and used the hold to push himself up onto his feet, stepping out from in front of the chair, then absently fetching his cane, before beginning to make his way over to where she stood.

Both seemed to be holding their breath, as Lucinda watched her Uncle approach her, the few seconds it took for him to cross the few feet between them stretching into what felt like an eternity, while their eyes never left one another's.

Lucinda's heart was beating faster than normal, and a single tear slipped free to glide down her cheek, when Archibald came to a halt in front of her.

"Belle," he managed to say, before his legs suddenly gave out from beneath him, and he began to collapse to the floor, the grip on his cane disappearing, causing the item to clatter to the ground.

"Uncle!" Lucinda gasped, instinctively reaching out to grab him, as he fell, wrapping her slender limbs around his lean form, but not possessing the strength to hold him up, so she sank to the floor with him, both remaining in sitting positions, while their eyes met once more.

"Belle," said Archibald once more. "Oh, my God. My beautiful little Niece. You're alive."

Raising one hand, his other splayed on the wood floor, he gently touched Lucinda's cheek, an action that caused her eyes to slip closed, squeezing several more tears free.

"Uncle," Lucinda gasped out, gazing back into his handsome face again. "I can't believe it. I thought I'd never see you again."

"As did I, my girl," Archibald said, with a soft, sad little smile.

"Come, my Lord," came the voice of Norrington, as he walked into the room, and over to the man's side. "Let's get the two of you up off of the floor."

Lucinda sent the Commodore a grateful smile, then got to her feet, before taking up one of her Uncle's arms, as James did the same, and the two assisted the man back over to his chair, Lucinda soon passing off finishing the task to Norrington, while she took up her Uncle's cane, leaning it against the arm of the seat once more, then moving around in front of it, where she gently fell to her knees before the man now settled in it again.

Archibald reached for his Niece's hands, while Norrington moved back to give the two of them room, pulling them into his lap, as he gazed down at her in continued awe.

"Look at you," he breathed in wonder, smiling, while his own deep brown orbs began to glitter with tears. "All grown up, and more beautiful than we could've ever imagined."

Lucinda laughed sweetly, gently pulling one of her hands free of his, in order to lift it, and lovingly touch one side of his face, an action he leaned into like a cat seeking affection. "And you're just as handsome as I remember, Uncle." Though she didn't recall him needing a cane to walk, and that thought caused her brow to furrow once more, as she flicked a glance at the item, then down at the leg of his she'd noticed him limping on, when he first came over to her. "What happened to you, Uncle? Why do you need a cane?"

"Oh, that," Archibald laughed, lifting his free hand to gently grasp hers where it touched his face, while he too flicked a glance down at his leg. "When I came home, after learning of your Mother's death, and found you and your brother gone, I set out to find the two of you. I searched for many years, my girl. For as long as I could, until I injured my leg. Then I could look no longer. At least, not myself." Taking in a deep breath, he went on, after releasing it. "But I sent others. Though none ever returned with good news." Smiling, he continued, as he gazed lovingly at her. "I never gave up hope. Not even when I was advised to."

"You look so tired, Uncle," Lucinda said, even as her heart ached at the knowledge that the man had been looking for her and Jack all this time, and lost so much because of it, flicking her honey brown orbs over every inch of his handsome, albiet exhausted, face, which she grazed the backs of her slender fingers down the side of, a touch he once more leaned into.

"Well, that'll stop now," replied Archibald, returning his gaze to hers. "Because we're together again now. Finally. After all this time."

A bright smile lit up every inch of Lucinda's breathing visage, and she leaned up on her knees, in order to wrap her arms around her Uncle's neck, hugging him tightly, while freeing the tears of joy and relief she'd been holding back, as Archibald secured his own limbs about his Niece's slender form, embracing her in return as securely as he could, almost afraid she'd turn into smoke, and disappear, or he'd wake up, discovering the past few moments had been a dream.

"Oh, my precious girl," Lord Crane breathed, holding her and kissing her hair, while she sobbed against his shoulder, clutching at him as though her life depended on it. "Fret no more. For you're safe now. You're home."

* * *

A short while later, Lucinda was settled on the couch in the drawing room, her Uncle next to her, while the Governor had the servants open up the kitchen, making a proper meal for her.

Lucinda couldn't remember the last time she'd had actual good food. Since she was the only one on board a ship full of Pirates who couldn't taste, the kitchen was naturally a scarce sight. It was really only when they'd go ashore that she managed to get something to eat at a tavern. Otherwise, she mainly lived off of apples, which Barbossa had an unusual obsession with, and ale or wine. Fresh water was also a rarity for her.

"You must be hungry," Archibald smiled, as he watched her forego any lady-like behavior, and dig into the delicious tray that was brought to her, placed on the table before them.

Lucinda blushed softly at her Uncle's words, grasping one of the folded clothes on the tray to wipe at her beautiful face. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you it wouldn't be a pleasant sight."

"Nonsense," Governor Swann chuckled, from where he sat across from them on another sofa. "You'll have as much as your stomach can handle."

"Thank you," Lucinda replied, before grabbing the glass of water, and drinking down half of it.

"Well, I must be going, I'm afraid," came Norrington's voice, as he stood by the entrance to the drawing room, causing her to look up from her meal.

"Thank you so much for bringing her to us, Commodore," said Archibald, while he sent the man the most grateful look he could. "I'll never be able to repay you."

"No thanks are necessary, my Lord," responded Norrington. "I'm honored to have been the one to bring her back home."

"Nonetheless, please let me know if there is anything we can ever do for you," said Weatherby, as he got to her feet, turned to face the man, and offered him his hand.

"Your family had already done quite enough for me, Sir," said James, while he shook the Governor's hand.

"James," Lucinda spoke up, rising from the couch, and rushing over to the Commodore. "Must you go?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I must, my Lady," Norrington replied, before he extended his large limb to her, which she immediately placed her hand in, allowing him to lift it to his lips, and grace its knuckles with a kiss. "I'll stop by Mr. Brown's on my return to the Fort. If young Mr. Turner is awake, I'll make sure he knows of the lovely young woman who saved his life last night."

"I _**will**_ be down to see him as soon as possible," Lucinda nodded, while smiling gratefully at the man.

"And if he's anything like me, he'll look forward to that visit with great anticipation," James replied with a smile of his own. "I'll see you again soon."

"I hope so," said Lucinda, just as Norrington stepped back, bowing to her, then offering Governor Swann and Lord Crane a nod of respect, before turning, and striding from the house.

"He's truly one of the best men I've ever known," said Weatherby, as the front door was closed by the servant who saw the Commodore out.

"I wholeheartedly concur," Lucinda replied to the man.

"Well, if you'll excuse me as well, my dear," the Governor said, bowing slightly to her as well. "I have a great many things to see to. But I'll have a room and a bath prepared for you."

"Thank you," answered Lucinda. "So much."

"As you're Uncle said," spoke Weatherby, nodding over at Archibald. "You're home now."

Lucinda sent the older man a smile, watching as he left the room, before she turned to face Lord Crane, who held out a hand for her, and she immediately walked back over, taking up the limb, as she sat down beside him once more.

"Eat," Archibald said, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple, before pulling back, to watch, while she returned to her tray, an action that soon prompted more than one of his Bull Mastiffs to rise up onto all four of their massive paws, and pad over to them. "Oh, don't beg. Go on now."

Lucinda laughed softly, as the dogs came over to sniff at her tray. "It's all right, Uncle." Plucking some food off of her tray, she offered it to the large animals, giggling sweetly, when they lapped at her hand, licking every bit of the yummy treat off of the delicate limb, before she reached out to scratch them behind the ears, while she gazed questioningly over at Archibald, who was smiling at the sight of his Niece with his dogs. "Why do you have so many?"

"Well, truthfully, I made my fair share of enemies over the years of looking for you and your brother, my child," was his response, one that caused Lucinda's happiness to dim almost completely from her beautiful face. "So, they're mostly protection." He chuckled softly, as the dogs began pushing each other out of the way in their attempts to be the closest to his Niece. "And they're usually more intimidating than this."

"I'm so sorry, Uncle," said Lucinda, reaching over to grasp both of Archibald's hands with her own, which he lifted to his lips to kiss. "Uncle, why haven't you asked me where I've been? Don't you want to know?"

Lifting his gaze back to hers, Lord Crane gently shook his head.

"Why not?" Lucinda exclaimed in confusion and disbelief. "Uncle, you gave up your youth, your money, your leg, your safety, you could've lost your _**life**_ , and you're not the least bit curious as to why? I show up the morning after Pirates attack the town, and you just think it's coincidence?"

"Belle," Archibald spoke, gently tightening his hold on her hands, while firmly meeting her gaze with his. "I'd do it all again." Lifting one large limb, he lovingly cradled one side of her beautiful face. "Sweetheart, you're my Niece. You're like my own child. You're my daughter, as far as I'm concerned. And I'll never forgive myself for all of the time I spent away from you, your Mother, and your brother after your cousin died."

Lucinda's eyes slipped closed, squeezing fresh tears free, at her Uncle's words. Her cousin, Colin, who'd been her age, though born too soon, after her Aunt Mary fell off a swing in one of the gardens on the grounds, and died, while pregnant with him, causing him to be sickly and crippled for the first years of his life, until Jack and Lucinda began taking him outside, teaching him how to walk, and he was healthy and happy, for the first time.

But a clot eventually blew in his leg, traveling to his brain, and he died, something Lucinda always blamed herself for, as she was the one who encouraged Colin to go outside, to learn how to walk. Lord Crane was rarely home after that, having already been torn about his wife's death, then to lose his son, and, unfortunately, a few months after Colin died, so did Anne.

The servants took care of Jack and Lucinda after that, with Archibald coming to visit every few months, but always staying mostly holed up in his room, until, one night, Jack woke Lucinda, telling her their Uncle was going to send them to a Boarding School, and that they needed to leave to find their Father, so Lucinda had gone with her brother, and the two became Pirates.

"And. . . " continued Archibald, pausing to lovingly tuck some long honey blond hair behind Lucinda's ear. "If you want to tell me what happened, where you've been, what you've gone through, I'll listen. And I'll not tell a soul what you confide to me. But, as far as I'm concerned, none of it matters. I love you, you're home, you're safe, we're together once more. _**That's**_ what matters. _**That's**_ what I care about."

Sniffling, Lucinda opened her eyes, her beautiful face stained with fresh tears, and looked at her Uncle, grapsing his hands in return, as she met his gaze with her own. "I love you, Uncle."

"I love you too, my beautiful little Lucinda Belle," replied Archibald, before he gently shook his head. "And I'll never let you go again."

Smiling, Lucinda reached out, and wrapped her arms around her Uncle, hugging him tightly, an embrace the man immediately returned.

"Tell me one thing though, my girl," said Archibald, as they sat on the couch in one another's arms.

"Anything, Uncle," replied Lucinda, gently shaking her head against the side of his.

"What happened to your brother?" the man asked. "Where's Jack, sweetheart?"

Lucinda's eyes, which had slipped closed while they hugged, opened, while a feeling of dread and sadness washed over every inch of her, and she soon pulled back enough from her Uncle's embrace in order to meet his deep brown gaze with her own.

"He's dead, Uncle," she said, her heart aching at the expression of despair that etched itself across the man's handsome face. "I lost him almost ten years ago. The people we were with, they. . . " Pausing, she licked her lips, while lifting a hand to tuck some hair back behind her ear. "They betrayed him. Left him on an Island to die."

"Oh, Belle," breathed Archibald, as tears pricked at the corners of his tired brown eyes. "You've been without your brother for all these years?"

As if sensing Lucinda's sadness, all of the man's massive Bull Mastiffs got up from their current positions in the room, four moving closer to settle once more, while two walked right up to her feet, where one laid, as the other placed his large head in her lap.

Smiling softly, Lucinda rested one of her slender hands on the dog's enormous head, scratching it, while Archibald lovingly stroked her long honey blond hair.

"When James and I first arrived," Lucinda spoke up, attempting to change the subject. "Governor Swann said he'd just gotten Elizabeth to go to sleep. Is Elizabeth his daughter?"

"Yes," replied Archibald, with a soft smile. "She's actually your age." He gazed questioningly at his Niece. "The two of you used to play together when the Swanns would come visit us. Do you remember that?"

Lucinda's brow furrowed, as she thought back to her childhood, before nodding, when she recalled a girl her age, whom she closely resembled in appearance, both having honey brown eyes, and matching in hue eyes. "Yes, I do."

"I know she'll be overjoyed to see you," said Archibald, moving his hand to her back, which he gently stroked. "She's missed you as well, all these years."

Lucinda smiled softly, but before either she or her Uncle could do anything more, the sound of clicking heels, in the form of quickly approaching footsteps, reached their ears, and both looked over to see a beautiful young woman, wearing a nightgown, robe, and slippers, entering the drawing room from the foyer.

"Belle," Elizabeth Swann breathed, smiling brightly, as she moved over to the couch, which Lucinda rose from, then reached out to hug her. "I couldn't believe it when Father told me."

Lucinda knew it was going to take some time to get used to being called "Belle" once more, and her brow furrowed slightly when the fellow young woman immediately enveloped her in a tight, warm hug, but it didn't take her long to recover, before she lifted her slender arms, and embraced her in return, smiling softly.

It'd been so long since she'd felt so much love, so much kindness, so much warmth, not since her single night with Killian had she experienced just enough of it to remind her what the experience was like, bringing her back to her safe, happy childhood, and now she was surrounded by people who were giving her as much of it as she could take at a near constant rate.

Elizabeth pulled back a moment later, her bright smile remaining, as she gazed into her friend's visage. "Oh, my gosh. You're so beautiful!"

Lucinda laughed sweetly. "Thank you. You're quite beautiful as well, Elizabeth."

"Oh, I'm simply so happy," Elizabeth went on, pulling her friend into another embrace. "This is the most wonderful thing that could've ever happened, especially after last night."

Lucinda's own smile faded, and she quickly pulled back from the renewed hug to gaze questioningly, and with concern, at the fellow young woman, at the reminder that the monsters she'd been forced to live with for nearly ten years had been in this town, which she now knew was the home of so many people she loved. "Are you all right? You didn't come into contact with the Pirates, did you?"

"Well, not _**those**_ from last night, in particular," answered Elizabeth. "But-"

"Elizabeth," Archibald quickly spoke up, using his cane to help him to his feet. "I think our Belle has had quite enough for one day."

"Oh, yes, of course," Elizabeth replied, while Lucinda now flicked her curious gaze between the two. What weren't they telling her? "Come. I'll take you upstairs. You can have a wonderful long, hot bath, then lie down, and get some sleep. You must be exhausted. I'm sure my clothes will fit you until we get you your own."

Elizabeth took up Lucinda's hand, and began to guide her from the room as she spoke.

"Go on," said Archibald, nodding and smiling at his Niece, when she looked over at him as the fellow young woman led her off. "I'll come see you before you go to sleep."

Lucinda nodded and smiled in response, then faced forward, allowing Elizabeth to show her the way through the house, and upstairs.

* * *

\- Author's Note - Archibald has been added to my Profile, so go check him out! Next Chapter, we'll get back to Inara and Jack, as well as Will.

Again, I hope you enjoyed, and, if you did, please take the time to send in a review!


	4. Girl Talk

\- Author's Note - Hey, guys!

Wow, it has been a while, and I apologize for that. I'd kind of just gotten to a point where I'd exhausted all of my writing energy, as I had multiple stories going at once, and all were pretty successful, so it was a bit overwhelming, trying to keep them all updated, and do so with the quality level of writing I hold myself up to.

But, lately, I've been wanting to get back into my writing, and some friends of mine recently watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so it got me thinking mainly on this story, and I got a bunch of new ideas for it.

Anyway, before we continue, a couple of notes:

Previously, I stated that Lucinda was 19 years old, but, upon looking up the PotC timeline, I realize she should actually be 20, which is how old Elizabeth and Will are, so Lucinda is now 20.

Also, Lucinda is now portrayed by someone different. When I first wrote this story, I believe I was using model Bridget Satterlee, but now I'll be using model Candice Swanepoel. I have added links to her to my profile, she is also the new Cover Image for this story, as well as put back up links to the other original characters, such as Uncle Archibald and Inara. These will be updated as we go, should further new characters be introduced.

I may be tweaking the Killian storyline, as well as a few other things, so keep an eye out for those, and, if you have questions, let me know, but, for now, let's finally get on with the story!

I hope you all enjoy, and PLEASE review!

* * *

Lucinda couldn't remember the last time she'd had a bath so wonderful, nor worn something so fresh, soft, and all around comfortable, when Elizabeth helped her into one of her own long, flowing, white nightgowns, once Lucinda was out of her bath, and had been dried off, including her hair, which resumed its usual, soft, loosely curled state, in addition to now smelling of roses, after being shampooed.

"I don't ever wish to take this off," Lucinda said to Elizabeth, with a soft smile, holding, for the first time, emotions she hadn't felt in years, those of contentment, warmth, and joy, as she smoothed her slender hands down the sides of her body, delightful chills running all over her sun kissed skin, at feeling the silky fabric of the nightgown against it.

Elizabeth laughed, while she finished pulling her friend's hair free of the collar of the nightgown. "One can't blame you." She flicked a glance over at where Estrella, one of the Maids, was gathering up their guest's discarded clothing. "Those appear quite lived in."

"What would you like me to do with these, Miss Belle?" inquired Estrella, straightening up with the dirty items in her arms.

Lucinda turned her eyes down onto the clothing she'd been wearing, a pile of a reminder of what she'd been through, and just finally escaped.

"Burn them," she replied, not missing a beat, words that caused Elizabeth, Estrella, and the other Maid in the room, who was closing the curtains, after turning down the bedding, so that Lucinda could sleep, to look at her with surprise.

"Why don't you take them downstairs for now, Estrella?" offered Elizabeth, continuing when the Maid sent her a nod. "Thank you."

"Would you like me to unpack that for you, Miss?" Estrella asked next, indicating what she was speaking of, that being the small bag of belongings Lucinda had arrived with.

Lucinda followed the woman's gaze, then shook her head, offering the Maid a soft smile. "No, thank you. I'll do so myself."

"Yes, Miss," replied Estrella, giving both Lucinda and Elizabeth a quick respectful curtsy, before she and the other Maid left the room, the latter closing the door behind them.

"Here," spoke Elizabeth, once they were alone, gesturing at the more than inviting looking bed. "Climb in."

Lucinda brushed past her friend, leaving a trail of sweet rose smelling air in her wake, pausing by the side of the bed that was open to her, in order to gaze down at it in joy. She hadn't slept in a proper bed since she was a child.

At her family's Estate in England, she'd had an enormous canopy feathered bed in her large room, that Jack would joke nearly swallowed her whole, when her tiny frame climbed into it, in the too long and wide nightgown she already had on.

"Well, go on," giggled Elizabeth, at the look on the fellow young woman's face. "It won't bite."

Lucinda laughed sheepishly, then lifted a knee onto the mattress, using her slender hands to raise up the skirt of her nightgown, as she did so, and climbed in, next sliding her legs under the thick comfortable, and leaning back against the plush pillows, while Elizabeth covered her.

"Oh, my gosh," breathed Lucinda, knowing she would happily let _**this**_ bed swallow her, at the feeling of the soft linens against her skin, and the thick, feather filled mattress beneath her. "I revise my previous statement. I never wish to leave this nightgown _**and**_ this bed."

Elizabeth smiled, while she sat, facing her friend, on the side of the mattress. Lucinda could tell she was dying to ask her what had happened to her, between her Mother's death and now, but she was holding back out of kindness and respect.

"Elizabeth," Lucinda said, reaching out to grab the young woman's hand with her own slender one. "It's all right. You may ask me."

She huffed out a breath, and offered her friend an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, Belle. I feel horrible. But my curiosity is eating away at me." Her brow furrowing, she went on, giving a gentle shake of her curly light brown head as she did so. "What happened? I still remember Mother and Father coming home after going to look for you and your brother at your Estate, and telling me you were gone. Where's. . . Jack? Was that his name?"

"Yes, that was his name," Lucinda replied sadly. She didn't blame Elizabeth for not clearly remembering it, as her big brother was rarely on the grounds when the Weatherbys were around. He took more after their Father, craving freedom, and independence, not being saddled to some stuck up rich family that wasn't even his own. So, whenever he learned they were coming, he'd take one of the horses from the stables, and ride the hour long trek into town, where he'd spend his allowance on alcohol, tobacco, and girls. "Jack. . . Jack died quite some time ago."

"Oh, my gosh!" breathed Elizabeth, lifting her other hand to grasp the one of Lucinda's she was already holding. "I'm so sorry, Belle."

"It's all right," said Lucinda, offering her a reassuring smile. "I miss him. I do. Just as I miss my Mother, and all the others I've lost, but I know they wouldn't want me to live my life grieving them." Sighing, she added on. "Not that it always helps."

"So, where have you been since your brother's death?" Elizabeth asked. "Your Uncle never stopped looking for you. How did you never find one another?"

Lucinda laughed softly. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help it. "I was kept well hidden, trust me, Elizabeth."

"What does that mean?" her friend inquired next, before realization dawned, and her face took on a horrified expression. "Oh, no. Belle, no. The Pirates that attacked last night?"

Lucinda could only nod, then averted her gaze to the bed. She had no reason to feel guilt or shame, yet she still did. "After our Mother died, Jack was convinced we were going to put in an Orphanage, despite the fact we still had family out there, especially our Uncle. He said our Uncle would never be trusted with us, after losing his wife and his son. 'He's gone mad'," Jack would say." Sniffling, Lucinda paused, then went on. "So, we ran away. Jack said our best bet was to find our Father."

Elizabeth shook her head, meeting the young woman's gaze when she lifted it back to her. "I thought you never knew your Father."

" _ **I**_ didn't," Lucinda confirmed. "But Jack met him a couple of times before I was born. He had a name, a face, and so off we went. I depended on Jack for everything. I was just a child. He would steal money, food, clothing, anything we needed." She nodded over at the small bag of her few personal affects on the dresser across the room. "I took some things, before we left the Estate, but I never let Jack find out. I was afraid he'd sell them."

"That's horrible," spoke Elizabeth. "I. . . do not wish to speak ill of the dead, but your brother was incredibly foolish, and cruel, to take you away from the safety of your family's Estate, and into a life on the run."

"He was afraid we'd be separated," Lucinda replied, with a shrug of her slender shoulders. "We were all we had left. I'm not condoning what he did, but he did it with the best intentions."

"Yes, and the path to Hell is paved with good intentions," Elizabeth sighed, to which Lucinda didn't respond. She understood, of course. She'd spent a lot of time hating Jack, for dragging her into the life of a Pirate, and then proceeding to leave her in the hands of the cruelest man alive, sort of, even though his mutiny wasn't his fault. It was Barbossa's. "So, how did you end up with the Pirates from last night?"

"They were Jack's crew, the ship used to be his, but his First Mate betrayed him, marooned him on an Island," Lucinda answered, the sound of her friend's voice drawing her from her thoughts. "I wasn't."

"Oh, my gosh," breathed Elizabeth once more, at the newest revelation, this one that Lucinda, a child, had been left in the hands of Pirates for years, and only just managed to escape last night. "Belle."

Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around her friend's slender form, and drew her into a loving, warm embrace.

"What you must've been through," Elizabeth said, as she held Lucinda in her arms.

Lucinda couldn't help but laugh softly once more, even while she gratefully hugged the young woman in return, doing her best to keep the past years from flashing before her eyes at her words, but she wasn't completely successful, especially when, as she embraced her friend, she caught sight of the scars on her own wrists at Elizabeth's back from her suicide attempt. "You have no idea."

Pulling away, Elizabeth settled back in her previous spot, taking up both of her friend's hands with her own this time, and smiled sweetly. "Well, you don't have to worry about that any longer. You're safe now, here with us, your family, and we'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Lucinda returned her smile with one of her own, though hers was much weaker. "I wish I could believe you, Elizabeth." Taking in a deep breath, she next released it, as she shifted her eyes over onto the curtain covered windows. "But I'll never feel safe, truly safe, until that crew, especially its Captain, are rotting at the bottom of the ocean."

Before Elizabeth could respond, a thought returned to Lucinda's mind, and she moved her gaze back to her friend, her brow now furrowed. "What did you mean earlier? When I asked if they'd hurt you, and you said not _**those**_ Pirates."

The darker haired young woman slowly took in a deep breath of her own, then released it, before shaking her curly head. "Your Uncle's right. I shouldn't burden you with it."

"Elizabeth, please," implored Lucinda, squeezing her friend's hands. "I need to know. Are there others here in Port Royal? Other Pirates?"

"Don't worry, Belle," Elizabeth responded, giving her slender limbs a reassuring tug. "They've been captured, and are awaiting the Hangman's Noose. They were supposed to be executed tomorrow, but I presume the attack has postponed that for a bit."

"Who are they?" Lucinda asked, her brow furrowing afresh. "What did they do to you?"

"Well, they actually saved my life," said Elizabeth, laughing softly at the surprised expression on her friend's beautiful face. "I know. I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't happened to me." Shifting a bit in her place, she went on. "Yesterday was Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony."

"He told me of that," replied Lucinda, with a nod of her golden blond head.

"He proposed to me," Elizabeth went on, a bright smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"What?" Lucinda answered, a brilliant grin of her own lighting up her features. "Elizabeth, that's wonderful!"

"However, I didn't get a chance to answer him," said the brunette. "See, Father gave me this beautiful dress to wear, but it came with a corset. Do you know of those?"

"Yes," said Lucinda, with a roll of her eyes. "Dreadful things."

"They are indeed," sighed Elizabeth. "I ended up passing out, and I fell over into the water. That's the last thing I remember. The next thing is waking up on the docks, soaking wet, just in my underclothes, with a dreadful looking man hovering over me." She paused, soon going on. "Commodore Norrington, my Father, and soldiers soon arrived, and my Father wanted the Pirates arrested. It was a man and a woman."

"Then what happened?" Lucinda asked, hanging off of her friend's every word, since it wasn't exactly common to hear of Pirates doing good.

"I told the Commodore that, despite being Pirates, they'd saved my life," Elizabeth continued. "But James said, "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man _**or**_ a woman of a lifetime of wickedness."

Lucinda laughed once more, as Elizabeth had playfully deepened her voice in order to speak the man's exact words.

"Nonetheless, they were both handcuffed, and the man got his shackles around my neck, while the woman managed to grab one of the soldier's pistols, and aimed it at the men," Elizabeth went on.

"Pirates are resourceful, if nothing else," Lucinda admitted, going on with a shake of her head, and a freshly furrowed brow. "How did you escape?"

"The man pushed me away once he and the woman had gotten enough distance from the soldiers to run," explained Elizabeth. "They opened fire, of course, but the pair still managed to escape. They were captured later though, at the Blacksmith Shop. They'd gone there in an attempt to be free of their chains."

"The Blacksmith Shop?" Lucinda spoke up, as her mind instantly flashed to Will. "That's where Will Turner works, isn't it?"

"Yes," replied Elizabeth, surprised she knew the young man's name, not to mention where he resided in the town. "How do you know Will?"

"I don't," Lucinda answered. "During the chaos last night, I saw him fighting the crew, and he got hit o the head by one of them, so, I stayed with him until morning. That's how I met James. He was passing by with some of his men, and I asked him to help me get Will home." Pausing, she quirked a curious brow, once Elizabeth had processed that information. "How do you know him? Are you and Will. . . ?"

"Oh, no. No," Elizabeth responded, before laughing softly. "I would be lying if I said I did not find him a very handsome and charming young man, but we're only friends, ever since we rescued him on the crossing from England eight years ago."

"You were on the ship that saved him?" Lucinda exclaimed in disbelief. The World was truly becoming a smaller place to her. "Incredible."

"It seems fate," Elizabeth said, smiling. "All of us finding one another, then being separated, only to find one another again."

Lucinda smiled softly in return, giving her friend's hands a gentle squeeze. "It would appear so."

"Well, I believe that is enough for now," spoke Elizabeth, rising from her spot on the bed. "It's time you got some rest, sister."

"Elizabeth," Lucinda quickly replied, grasping the young woman's hand once more. "You must promise me you'll keep what we spoke of between us. No one can know."

"I promise," Elizabeth reassured her, before leaning down to grace the top of Lucinda's golden blond, rose smelling head with a kiss. "Call if you need anything."

"I will," spoke Lucinda, offering her friend a fresh soft smile. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

She returned her gesture, then turned, pausing to blow out the candles and lanterns, causing the room to fall into further darkness, before she left, closing the door behind her.

Lucinda waited until she could no longer hear Elizabeth's footsteps to get out of bed, and walk over to where the small bag of her personal possessions rest on the dresser.

Grabbing it, she returned to her previous position with it, and opened the bag in her lap, reaching in to grab the first item, which was her soft white crocheted baby blanket, that was decorated with a purple ribbon, and had her name embroidered on it.

Smiling softly, if not a bit sadly, Lucinda lifted it to her beautiful face, and rubbed its softness against her cheek, before setting it down in her lap once more, and reaching into her bag to fetch the next item.

Lucinda pulled out a gold cross, one which her Mother wore until the day she died, and cradled it in the palm of one of her hands, unable to help the slight sheet of tears that filled her blue eyes at the sight of it, before she undid the clasp, then secured the necklace around her neck.

After doing so, Lucinda placed the bag on the floor by her bed, then sank down beneath the covers, cradling her baby blanket to her chest, and she was fast asleep the moment her silky loosely curled golden blond head touched the pillows.

* * *

Author's Note - Okay, guys. A short Chapter, I know.

I was going to make it longer, but I wanted to get something posted. Plus, I want to see how many, if any, are still interested in this story.

We'll get back to Will next Chapter, and Jack and Inara most likely the Chapter after that.

Anyway, don't forget to check out the new links in my Profile, and, if you enjoyed this Chapter, and/or are excited about the story's return, please let me know with a review!


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